Mentoring Program Newsletter Archive: May 2006

Spotlight on: Phil Smakula ’77 RC PK and Amy Baginski

Amy Baginski wanted to meet someone working in the field of therapeutic recreation who could tell her about trends in the field. Phil Smakula, a recreation supervisor with the Montgomery County Department of Recreation, decided that it was “time to give back” to Penn State. So when the two were paired with one another in the HHD Mentoring Program, it was a perfect fit for both.

Amy wanted to learn more about therapeutic recreation in non-clinical settings, and Phil’s department, which provides therapeutic recreation services to a county with a population of more than 900,000, fit the bill. “Being involved in the mentoring program has allowed me to see what it is like to be a CTRS (Certified Therapeutic Recreation Specialist),” says Amy. “It has allowed me to ask the personal questions about the demands of the job.”

When Amy was looking for an internship (a requirement of all students in the therapeutic recreation option), Phil reviewed her resume and asked other staff in his office to review it, too. He told her of the importance of “having a variety of both volunteer and work experiences on her resume.” He also gave her advice about interviewing, giving her examples of questions that an interviewer might ask. “This was helpful,” she says, “because I felt more prepared and less nervous when I did do my interviews.”

Because of their busy schedules, the two have not been able to meet outside of the mentoring dinners, but both still feel that they have benefited a great deal from the program. They email each other about twice a month, and Amy encourages mentors and protégés to “make arrangements at the beginning that are practical to follow through with.” Phil says that one of his biggest concerns before volunteering for the program was his distance from Penn State. “I was concerned that if we couldn’t get together face-to-face on a regular basis, that we wouldn’t be able to establish any kind of a mentor/student relationship, and that my protégé might feel “short-changed,” he says. “That turned out to not be a problem at all. The mentor orientation, as well as the preparation by the students, really helped us to establish a rapport and get started at the dinner where we first met.”

Amy is now doing her internship in Salt Lake City, Utah at The Kostopolus Dream Foundation, which offers a summer camp for people with mental disabilities. She will graduate from Penn State after completing her internship and is already in the process of looking for a job. She and Phil plan to keep in touch after she graduates.

Phil plans to continue in the mentoring program with a new protégé. “The satisfaction of being able to share my education and work experiences with someone young and eager to listen is probably the best feeling I’ve gotten out of the program,” he explains. “I hope that Amy has felt the same way and has been able to utilize some of my suggestions and advice in her decision making.”

Both are enthusiastic in their advice to current or prospective mentors and protégés. “Ask questions! Ask to visit! The more you put into it, the more you will get out of it,” Amy says, adding that her experience in the program “has made me appreciate the connection Penn State alumni have to the current students and how much they are willing to help in any way possible.”

For alumni who are thinking about volunteering in the program, Phil advises, “Don’t wait! It’s really worth the time you invest.”

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2007 Mentoring Dinners

It’s never too early to mark your calendar for the 2007 Mentoring Dinners and Workshops! Please note that two departments (Biobehavioral Health and Nutritional Sciences) are hosting lunches rather than dinners.

Friday, February 2 (6:00 p.m.)

Saturday, February 3 (11:30 a.m.)

Saturday, February 3 (6:00 p.m.)

Saturday, March 31, 2007 (10:00 a.m.)

 

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Topics of the Month

For protégés to ask mentors:
What courses did you take outside of your major that you found helpful? Do you belong to professional organizations? Which ones?

For mentors to ask protégés:
What student organizations do you belong to? Have you taken a leadership role?

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Featured Photos

Massuchi
Meredith Massucci talks with her mentor, Suzanne Mellott ’99, ’01g.
Hill
Nikki Hill, a nursing student protégé, speaks with interim dean Fred Vondracek.

Perry
Shatonya Perry talks about her experiences in the mentoring program.

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Upcoming Events at Penn State:

July 12-16
Central Pennsylvania Festival of the Arts
State College, PA

For more information, please visit: www.arts-festival.com

July 14-16
“Benefield Bash” sponsored by the Penn State Hotel & Restaurant Society
Allenberry Resort, Boiling Springs, PA

For more information, please contact Harvey Kamp at huk3@psu.edu.

August 12
Commencement

 

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Helpful Links:

Daily Collegian: http://www.collegian.psu.edu/

Penn State Newswires (subscribe): http://newswires.psu.edu/ 

College of Health and Human Development Homepage: www.hhdev.psu.edu

Penn State Live (daily news from Penn State): http://live.psu.edu/

Penn State Alumni Association Homepage: www.alumni.psu.edu

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Mentoring Newsletter Archive

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